In this rarely seen musical, Fred Astaire plays con man Johnny Parkson Riggs, who heads for South America with his partner (Frank Morgan) to hide from the law. On arrival, the two decide to fleece Yolanda (Lucille Bremer), an innocent, convent-raised young heiress. One day Johnny overhears
Yolanda as she prays to her guardian angel and, capitalizing on her faith, steps into her room pretending to be that angel. He slowly works his way into her life, preparing to nab the fortune, but things go awry when he begins to fall in love with the young woman. Also complicating matters is the
mysterious Mr. Candle (Leon Ames), who, of course, eventually reveals himself to be Yolanda's real guardian angel. After Johnny finally admits he loves the girl, Mr. Candle gives his blessing to their wedding.
Under Vincente Minnelli's stylish direction, YOLANDA AND THE THIEF is an elegantly whimsical but predictable fairy tale. Astaire was eager to create unusual dance sequences and presented choreographer Loring with five hours of dance clips from his previous films, telling the choreographer, "Look
at this first, and then we'll go to work. I don't like to repeat myself." The film's highlight is a beautiful, dreamy ballet in which Astaire imagines himself choosing between his criminal life and Yolanda. Songs by Arthur Freed and Harry Warren include "This Is the Day for Love" (performed by
Bremer), "Angel" (performed by Bremer), "Yolanda" (performed by Astaire), "Coffee Time," and "Will You Marry Me." leave a comment
